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Ryan couldn’t wait ten fucking minutes to propose? I stared in disbelief as the party moved back to the restaurant to celebrate and everybody clapped Ryan on the back. I couldn’t believe it. The whole moment I planned to tell Piper how I felt—burned to a fucking crisp.
“And it was all Adam’s idea.” Ryan laughed, giving me a one-arm hug.
I was trying so hard not to fucking swear.
“He said—what did you say?” Ryan asked. “He said, this would be the perfect place to throw the banquet because girls love it. And I thought—he might have a point.”
I stared into the distance, irritated beyond belief.
If I had ever, in a million fucking years, thought that Ryan would’ve co-opted my night, I would’ve said jack fucking shit. He could propose to Kassie any night. I specifically sold off my summer for this night for Piper. Even if none of them knew it.
“Everyone’s invited to the wedding!” Kassie reached up and kissed Ryan on the cheek.
“Great,” I muttered.
“I love you,” Ryan said solemnly to his new fiancée.
My eye twitched.
Piper came up next to me and sighed, the sweetest look on her face. “Adam, isn’t this perfect? I can’t think of one thing that would’ve made this night more perfect.”
“I can,” I muttered. “Pretty easily.”
If Ryan had just kept it in his pants for a couple more minutes…
We headed back to campus and I was in a foul mood, I had to temper it back every time someone tried to involve me in the conversation.
What was I supposed to do? Tell Piper, hey, I’m in love with you, after that display? It was like busting out a baby announcement at someone else’s wedding. What would Piper tell our kids?
Oh, yeah. He said he loved me after he didn’t want to get shown up by a friend’s engagement.
I had to come up with another magical night, and now I knew better. None of our goddamn friends were invited. Fuck them. In fact, I would purposely make another thing for them to go to, just to make sure they wouldn’t emerge from a hidden corner and announce a relative died or something to steal my time.
The elevator ride in the dorm was full of Ryan and Kassie making out and the rest of us, six inches away, pretending not to notice. Just what I wanted.
They were dumped off at their floor and the elevator rose one more for ours. I walked out with Piper and unlocked my door, pushing it open. Piper’s hand touched my arm, and I glanced back.
“Hey?” She tilted her head to the side. “Tonight was amazing.”
For a long moment, I didn’t know what to say. In an alternative universe, the night wouldn’t have gone like this. It would’ve been a million times better. I shifted on my back leg, watching this beautiful girl next to me, with the startling gray eyes.
I love this girl. That’s it.
“Yeah?” Half a grin crossed my lips. I pushed open my door and reached for her hand.
Okay, tonight wouldn’t be the perfect night I carefully planned out. Fine. But being with Piper would make it a perfect night. I tugged her inside and spun her back, leaning down to capture her lips for a kiss.
She wrapped her arms around my neck and deepened the kiss, making me feel a hell of a lot better. I closed the door behind us and swept her up, walking her to the bedroom.
“You don’t have to carry me,” she teased.
“I’m just glad you read me so well.” I sighed. “It’s nice you know how much I hate carrying you around. Especially with this dress on. That I paid a lot of money to carry you in.”
Piper laughed and I set her down on the bed, taking her face between my hands. A face I could look at forever. I kissed her again, swiping her bottom lip with my tongue, and drew her closer.
“Thank you,” she whispered again.
“No, thank you,” I muttered back, knotting my fingers through her hair. “For letting me touch you like this. Fuck, Piper.” I shook my head, dipping down to her throat. “You drive me crazy.”
